Tereza de Arruda picks five standout pavilions at politically charged 61st Venice Biennale

On the final preview day of the 61st Venice Biennale, curator Tereza de Arruda encountered a tumultuous environment characterized by strikes and closed pavilions, rendering this edition one of the most politically charged in recent memory. Amidst these challenges, several significant projects stood out, such as Florentina Holzinger's bold performance from Austria; a conversation on memory and politics between Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu from Germany; Miet Warlop from Belgium, who turned language into a performative experience; and the South African pavilion, which remained vacant after Gabrielle Goliath's project was canceled, described by her as "a space of erasure." Additionally, Taiwan's Li Yi-Fan presented Screen Melancholy, examining perception in the context of technology. The reconfiguration of the South African pavilion underscores concerns regarding censorship and artistic freedom.